Fire extinguisher



A. L. JOHNSON.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8. I920.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT L. JOHNSON, or TROY, NEW YORK.

, Y rmn EXTINGUISHER.

Application filed September 8, 1920. Serial No. 408,829.

To aZZ whom it may concern-.5

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. JOHNSON,

A a citizen of the United States, andresident of Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire Extinguishers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in a fire extinguisher of the type adapted to contain a material in fluid or liquid form' which will be capable of extinguishing flames upon which it is sprayed. It is desirable thatthis ma terial be stored for indefinite periods of time in the container. It is therefore, essential that the material suffer no deterioration during storage and that it shall be instantly available for use. It is necessary that the material be maintained under pressure and released with the slightest exertion. This pressure must be such that when the ma-' terial is released it will be projected a considerable distance in the form of a jet, capable of being directed upon the flames and quenching it by the spray. It is found desirable to fill the container with a material at normal atmospheric pressure and thereafter to impose upon the material in the container the pressure necessary to accomplish the results desired.

A further object of my invention is to insure the delivery of substantially all of the contained liquid on opening the outlet.

Iaccomplish the above and other objects by certain novel improvements hereinafter described and illustrated by way of example in the appended drawings to which referonce is made.

In the drawings: I Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross section of a fire extinguisher embodying my invention and,

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on y the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

As described and illustrated in the drawings my invention consists in a casing having a cylindrical side wall 3, to one end of which is attached a casting having two eccentric flanges 5 and 6. The cylindrical walls 3 of the casing are received within the outer circular flanges 5 to which it is brazed, welded or otherwise united. The flange 6 is eccentrically disposed in the casting 4 extending away from it substantially the same distance as flange 5. Flanges 5 and 6 approach 56 each other closely on one side of thecasing but a considerable space intervenes between their opposite portions. The casting 4 is internally screw threaded as indicated at 7 within the portion surrounded by the flange 6. A turn-cock 8 is screw threaded into the recess 7 and projects longitudinally of the device substantially along its axis. This turn-cock" has a handle 9 and a nozzle 10. It will be evident from the drawing that while the turn-cock is axially disposed relative to the shell of the device, nevertheless it is closely adjacent to one side wall of the liquid container. It follows that during the emptying operation the turn-cock will be at the lowermost portion of the front of the container and thus serves to deliver substantially the entire amount of liquid held in the container.

Extending from the flange 6 and throughout the length of the cylindrical wall 3 there is provided a cylindrical tubing 11 which constitutes a container for the fire extin guishing material. This tubing 11 is welded or otherwise united to flange 6. Its opposite end projects above the cylindrical wall 3 a short distance, and is internally screw threaded as indicated at 12 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The casting 13, circular inform and similar to casting 4, is used to close the upper end of the extinguisher shell. This casting includes a peripheral flange 14 to which the cylindrical wall 3 is united. A circular hole 15 serves to hold the projecting end of the tubing 11. The joint between the tubing and the casing is welded.

Diametrically opposed to the hole 15 in inward seating movement of the member 17.

The lower portion of the tubing'17 extends within a short distance of the casting 4 and carries an outlet 20. The spring 21 mounted upon the tubing 17 supports a check valve 22. A plunger 23 is journaled through the axial hole 24 in the head of the tubing 17 which thus serves as a bearing. The upper end of this plunger 23 carries a handle 25. A plunger head 26 is mounted at the opposite end of the plunger 23 by means of the washers 27 and nuts 28.

The upper end of the tubing 11 is closed by a screw threaded cap 29. A small opening 30 connects the interior of the tubing 11 with the chamber of the shell. The tubing 11 constitutes a piston cylinder within which a piston head 31 is free to travel. This piston head is recessed on its rearward face to provide a relatively, thin central partition with an extended bearing upon the walls of the tubing 11 by reason of the skirt 32.

In the use of the device as above described I prefer to fill the container formed by the tubing 11 with liquid fire-extinguishing material to the level indicated in Fig. 1 with the piston head 31 resting upon the surface of the liquid. .The cap 29 is then screwed fluid pressure, as desired.

down. The plunger 23 is reciprocated to produce within the chamber of the shell a A few strokes will be suflicient'to raise the pressure well above that of the atmosphere and to compress a relatively large volume ofair in the chamber, due to the maximum length of stroke available in this structure. Due to the opening into the container 11 this pressure is likewise exerted upon the rear wall 1 of the piston 31 and transmitted through the piston to the contained'liquid. It will be obvious that the liquid within the container-11' is held under the requisite pressure and when the valve-9 i's'opened will V even atthe limit of its forward travel.

. 7 increase the pressure by a few strokes ofthe plunger. During the discharge operation, it will be the natural tendency of the operator to hold the device horizontally and with the pump cylinder 17 beneath the liquid container. In this manner the'turn-cock isat the bottom of the container and will practi cally drain the same, the slight leakage of compressed air around the piston 31, sweeping out the heavier liquid. 1

.The construction of the device is equally well adapted for use as a projecting appa ratus alone, and without storing the material under pressure. In the former casethe nozz'le may be opened and pressure developed while operating, by several reciprocationsof the plunger.

lVhile I have shown one particular embodiment of my invention, it will be evident that the same is susceptible of considerable variation without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is to be understood that many. changes may be made by those skilled in the art, within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

lVhat I claim as my invention is: 1. In a device of the class described, a

shell including, an end casting having a p-ositely' disposed to said flange, a cylindrical container extending from said flange through said aperture, a cap on said container, 2. pump in said shell, and ports in the con tainer and pump communicating with the interior of the shell. r

3. In a device of the class described, a shell including an end casting having a centrally disposed, valved outlet, a container in said shell, one wall of said container extending over. the outlet, a piston in the container, a pump within the shell laterally of the container and operable through the end of the shell opposite the outlet, and passageways connecting the interior of the shell with the containerand the pump.

4-. In a device of the class described, a shell, a fluid container therein having an outlet for discharging the contained fluid longitudinally through one end "of'thejshell, a-piston in the container, a pumpin the shell laterally of the container and extending substantially the length of the shell, s'aidpu-mp having a plunger reciprocable longitudinally throughv the end of the shell opposite the outlet, and means establishing communication between the cylinder of the pump and the container in rear of the pi'stoi1.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto a-tlixed my si nature.

' ALBERT L. JOHNSON. 

